Inauguration of Dr. Jerome Kim, Director General of IVI

Prof. Adel Mahmoud and members of the IVI Board of Trustees, the
Honorable Gim Chaechun, Excellencies, Members of the Korea Support
Committee for IVI, Distinguished Guests:

On behalf of Seoul National University, it gives me great pleasure to join
you all to welcome Dr. Jerome Kim as IVI’s new Director General. I extend
hearty congratulations to Dr. Kim on your inauguration as IVI’s new leader.
SNU has had the privilege of having IVI, the first international organization
hosted by the Republic of Korea, on our campus since the Institute’s
inception. We are pleased to have the opportunity to support humanitarian
vaccine research through IVI as the world’s only international organization
devoted exclusively to new vaccines for the poor.

IVI has built up an impressive portfolio of scientific achievements along
with its institutional growth over the past years. The Institute has made
strides in implementing its mandate to discover, develop and introduce new
vaccines for developing countries. IVI has developed new vaccines against
cholera and typhoid, and has made important contributions to collective
efforts to make available new vaccines against dengue and other neglected
diseases. On the foundation of these achievements, the Institute is poised to
make a bigger impact in global health.

IVI’s founders in Korea, such as Prof. Cho Wan-kyoo, former President of
SNU, strategically located IVI’s headquarters on the SNU campus in order to
synergize with the university’s vibrant academic community. Building upon
our cooperation in vaccine sciences and public health, SNU looks forward to
seeing a more dynamic exchange between the two organizations. A number
of SNU graduate students are conducting their research projects at IVI
laboratories, gaining experience and knowledge in their studies and careers.
IVI senior scientists have become professors at SNU. This is a wonderful
example of a successful partnership that serves the interests of both
organizations, and a reminder of the quality of scientific work that IVI has
generated.

We at SNU hope to expand and deepen our partnership with IVI under
Dr. Kim’s leadership, and we believe there are many more opportunities to
do so. SNU is committed to providing all possible support for IVI to help
ensure that the Institute successfully carries out its mission to discover,
develop and deliver vaccines for people in need across the world. SNU will
remain as IVI’s partner in these humanitarian endeavors.

On behalf of the SNU community, I wish to acknowledge all the members
of IVI for your dedication and hard work in leading the success of the
Institute. Once again I congratulate Dr. Kim on your inauguration, and hope
you find your life in Seoul to be a most pleasant one. .